By KumKum Dasgupta
Fatima Mynsong (39), Acquiline Songthiang (37) and Matilda Suting (38)
The three have been fighting corruption in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) for the last three years in Meghalaya.
“I hate corruption and there is so much of it around us,” says Mynsong, a primary school teacher from Jongksha, a village of 600 households, 32 kilometres from Shillong.
When the NREGS, which entitled each household to up to 100 days work, began in the village in 2008, there was much anticipation since stable work options are rare in that area.
Songthiang, who is a school teacher, and her colleague Mynsong got involved in the implementation process.
As soon as the project began, Mynsong found to her horror that someone had fraudulently withdrawn money for the purchase of materials and wages by forging her signature.
Angry, she went up to the village executive committee and challenged them. Instead of launching a probe, the secretary just told her to mind her own business. Songthiang also had a similar experience.
“We were very angry and wanted to file a Right to Information case but did know how to go about it,” recounts Mynsong. Luckily, a cousin knew and helped frame the letter. An old friend and neighbour Matilda Suting, a housewife, also joined their fight.
When the news of misappropriation spread, some of the villagers came out in support, while many others stayed away. This divided the village into two camps. “We called a meeting of the NREGS workers and told them what was happening.
It was a giant leap for us but we believed that we must not accept corruption,” Mynsong reminisces.
Their rations were stopped and the three were even physically assaulted.
However, all these did not dampen their spirits.
Slowly, the wheels of justice moved and a chargesheet was filed against the erring officers. “Our people are often taken for a ride. This has to stop,” says Mynsong confidently.
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